American Horror Story: Hotel "She Gets Revenge" Review: Well DAMN

I don't know how else to say it, "She Gets Revenge" was one of my favorite episodes this season (so far). Not a single second was wasted. The jokes were hilarious, the emotional elements were genuinely moving, the violence over-the-top, and the drama sultry and lurid. That's all I ask for in American Horror Story: Hotel. That's IT!

Dancin' Donno knows what I mean:

My main source of enjoyment came from Liz Taylor finding a little bit of happiness after losing Tristan. Taylor's always been the most sympathetic character. I know, not hard to pull off in this crowd, but still it says a lot that she's not out murdering every chance she gets. Combine the bartender's compassion with a triumphant origin story and her recent loss of true love and you've got a recipe for someone to root for. So it was sad to learn last night that she'd established a suicide pact with Iris. See, while cleaning up some old folks who just killed one another, the line of thinking for Liz was that it was only a matter of time before the Countess turned her pointy metal fingers on those around her. Iris jumped on the bandwagon, griping about feeling useless without her son's love.

Only thing was, Liz had unfinished business with her son Douglas whom she hadn't seen for 31 years. Dying in the Cortez would mean becoming a ghost there, and that kind of life is pretty much hell on Earth. So Liz bribed Miss Evers with some laundry detergent (hilarious reactions ensued) in exchange for arranging a reunion with Taylor's son. The question was though, would Douglas be accepting?

While that story thread got established, John continued his work killing some folks who were worshiping false gods (Santa Muerte by the looks of the dolled-up skeleton). While killing people IS bad, I'm a real fan of just how nuts the detective has become. He's got a plan and conviction. Those qualities in a person are pretty appealing! Granted, the man's a walking butcher shop, but you can't say he hasn't got that clear-headed serial killer je ne sais quoi everyone's always going on about.

So while he was busy trying to connect with Alex, out of nowhere we were blindsided by the intercut double-murder of Natacha and Valentino set to some Sisters of Mercy.

Donovan teased Valentino over how helicopters scared the ancient actor, and the fellow responded by threatening the D-Man with a sword.

Next thing you know Donovan shot The Countess's first love in the face then spit on the corpse (it should be noted that Donovan does in fact have "cheekbones for days"). So at this point in the episode, I was like "damn, okay." Following her murder of Natacha, the Countess then fielded questions about her missing husband Drake. She was dressed kind of like a cross between Sharon Stone from Basic Instinct and Larry King.

Then lo and behold, the hotelier rolled in with his new ghost status and The Countess had to get fancy with her words to shoo out the authorities. She was all like, "blessed be, I was worried sick—out you go now coppers." The Countess broke it down how she was now legal guardian of Drake's boy and would eventually take over the Drake fortune through the child.

Had to watch this episode again and just say DAMN, GALLLL DAMN. Once again, LIZ Taylor shines in this episode during the conversation with her son. I half expected the son to trail out a gun and shoot his dad, but that would have been toooooo scooby doc and cheap on the writers behalf. I'm glad that did not happen.

That being said, GUNS a BLAZIN like PULP fiction on slo-mo, we witness Liz and kathy Bates pulling a tarentino (sp) action move. BRAVO writers, BRAVO.

Hot DAAYYUMN, that was a good episode. A bit of a tear jerker too, w/ Liz. Plus the Countess found true love maybe at the end, before getting possibly shot up. Oh and that absolutely HI-LARIOUS dance number w/ Donnie. Dude does a great Drake impersonation of "Hotel Bling". The advertisement worked, and I'm gonna download that song before years end. Also I liked that little tribute video Iris did, ( speaking of tributes, if you like Star Wars, check out this short tribute to the whole saga, before seeing the Force Awakens! I think fans will like it;-)
(https://youtu.be/7XqteFnRA4c PH@TMANtv) It was a sweet send off for Iris, if she did go through w/ it. Also who else thought she was gonna just shoot Liz, when she found out their wasn't going to be any suiciding? I would just HATE for Liz to be stuck haunting the halls forever? I'm glad I can still see Iris, as a sweet old gun-packing grannie. For a show like this, she's as sweet as could be! Well for a mass murdering, depressed vampire anyway, but no ones perfect. Especially on this show, & I wouldn't have it any other way;-) Great job A.H.S.: HOTEL FTW! Can't wait to see how the Countess makes it out of this one in 2016. PS Scarlett is SO way better off w/o her cray cray/SPN family around!

Thank you Ryan - when you took over the AHS reviews, much like J J Abrams, you had high expectations to meet. But I find that I enjoy your reviews just as much as Price's. Excellent job. You really summed up that final shot well with the 'pew pew' caption 👏

I can't believe that Miss Evers has been washing the bloodstains out from all the sheets by hand for almost century! Of all the mean things she has done - NOT forking out for a washer dryer has to be the most evil, selfish thing the Countess has ever done.

I love that, amongst all the horror and violence, AHS still manages to squeeze in a valuable lesson about the consequence of not vaccinating your child against measles.

Vampires don´t turn into ghosts since they are already undead (technically not alive nor part of the natural world either) so that´s why no vampire in this show will be coming back, ghost are usually stuck souls of those human who happen to have unresolved issues.

-I think the episode was quite brilliant, Miss Evers was totally hilarious with her new home appliances. Liz was absolutely delightful as usual and i´m happy that she reconnected with her son, she also brings the best of Iris which is fantastic, that last scene was some Thelma & Louise realness honey! Denis O´hare needs an Emmy nomination next year.

-The only story that i felt underdeveloped was the Valentino/Natacha subplot (what awesome or hilarious could has been seen them trying to blend in the modern world) Finn Whitrock is a great actor i must say.

-Donovan gets a bit of annoying with that blind adoration towards The Countess, at least she managed to understand that her real actual love was there all along. If you think about it the Valentino thing could had never worked out anyways, he was stuck in his era whereas she was at least capable of adapt and change with the decades.

-I kinda feel sad for Mr Drake´s son and John & Alex´s daughter...honestly the parenting skills in this show are beyond shitty.

-I suppose the remaining episodes will be about Ramona Royale and Mr March, i think John still has a homicide left to complete his part of the deal though but he we will be ok if he manages to stay away from The Cortez since Mr march is stuck there (so is Hypodermic Sally), now living a family life with a vampire son and wife that´s something doesn't add up unless he gets turned.

-Not sure we have seen the last of Gaga´s character yet. I hope Donovan is alive though, just for eye candy reasons at least LOL.

A better explanation would be that he didn't have any unresolved issues because he died he'd found the love he'd been seeking his whole life. Still a flimsy explanation I know but in light of the Countess's return it makes a bit more sense than 'vampires can't come back as ghosts.'

Completely agree about the quality of Denis and Finn's acting. Liz & Tristian's love story came out of nowhere and if it had been anyone else I would've been pissed off (angry) at how unbelievable it was. But they REALLY sold it! They made it believable and I was really rooting for them for them

Great episode, was SO happy for Liz.. While I'm still a lil sad she lost Tristan, if Tristan had lived Liz may have never sought out her son, and thus we may have never gotten to witness such a touching show of emotion as their reunion turned out to be. Dennis O'Hare is a national treasure, period.

I got the impression Ramona was gunna eat those kids... since we know the Countess used her children as living blood filters, why would Ramona not kill them? Maybe she'll spare the nice lil sickly girl.. There is no other food in there, not since Drake's death, and even if Ramona wanted to spare them, she'd get peckish enough eventually. N2m those kids would probably start trying to eat one another pretty quickly anyway..

Donovan's dancing was great... I had been afraid after his initial dumping earlier in the season that Matt Bomer's character would again be fated to a brief appearance... not the case!
I can't believe Iris would actually kill Donovan though.. Even if she is angry, even if she does feel unloved by him and unappreciated, that is still her son.. However I could see the Countess tossing him in front of herself to save her own ass and him dying that way.. I'm surprised to see all this happen so soon, as there should be another 3 episodes in the season I think..
Very shocking ending though, cannot wait for the next episode!

Oh, and someone may have already mentioned this (I haven't read all the comments) but John's son's name is Holden not Alden. Lol reading that made me think of my beloved John Alden of Salem... I miss that show...

See I was wondering about Ramona's last line of the show. Vampires can't gain sustenance from other vampires, their blood doesn't pump fresh anymore, right? So she COULD kill the kids, but can she "eat" them? Or "drink" them, rather?

The countess LOVED sipping from her vampire kids. And I think she fed Bartholomew from them. They're her special top-shelf stash. I don't think Ramona will have any trouble. Except maybe the measles part... when there's no more blood for her to feed on in that hallway, maybe she'll die from the measles they have, like the little girl vampire who wouldn't feed, died from the measles.
Speaking of Bartholomew, I'm wondering now since it only takes 3 weeks to gestate a vampire baby, if Alex is going to end up having one now that she's back with John.

The children's blood being harvested (I think in the rec room) was shown in an early episode. As was the Countess and Donovan sipping on it from a crystal decanter. It was shown rather than explained, I believe. This decanter is also what Liz fed Iris from when she was DT-ing on her first few days of being turned.
Bartholomew is the Countess's baby, he was born via abortion, done by Charles Montgomery in the Murder house from season one. She was 3 weeks pregnant and already full term. I think in 1926 or thereabouts.
He is a forever-newborn, with black eyes, sharp teeth and a ruined face (from the abortion probably but also he was shot by John Lowe when Ramona let him out when she was attempting to kill him... the baby got into John's suitcase somehow and ended up in John's house where John shot at him twice) Alex found him outside the house & brought him back to the hotel. Alex became the children's governess, Bartholomew was in her care. James March is Bartholomew's father. So far as we know.

Eh, I was singularly underimpressed by whole season so far and this ep did nothing to improve my opinion. I did like Natacha/Valentino deaths for how it looked. But other than that it was boooooooooooring.

The whole season, and show in general, has become so saturated with murder and blood pumping from severed veins it's not shocking anymore, it's just "Another one bites the dust, oh well...." Honestly, I thought Frakshow was the lowest series can go but i was msitaken.

Drake seemed pretty chill with helping Countess get awa with his murder.

Even though I agree they may have taken the death and gore a little too far this season (in quantity, not quality), I think Hotel has a creepier atmosphere, and more interesting characters and storylines than Freakshow.

The only thing I'm missing is more characters I can empathize with and maybe some storylines I can feel more invested in (I just don't give a damn about where the Countess gets her fortune). Just like in Freakshow, most if not all of the characters are bad people, which makes it hard to care if they're eventually killed off (Which is, I believe, why these episodes centering on Liz tend to be liked more than the rest).

However, I find Hotel's characters more interesting, and feel like the season has a storyline that's actually going somewhere, with mysteries I'm actually interested in (What is that creature following Sally?).

I feel like AHS reached its peak with Asylum (even Ryan Murphy admitted it would be a hard act to follow), and now it's just a matter of taste. Are you into stories about a coven of witches? A freakshow of murderers? A hotel ruled by vampires and ghosts? If you're not into it... maybe next season!

I agree that visuals in this season are best so far. Both the Cortez scenery and camera work but the story is horrific. I still think that show is overdoing it with murders, even if they tend to be cliche and repeats. I mean, how many throats can countess slit before it becomes "jsut a thing she does" Not to mention that so man people getting murdered there or vanishing once they check in should raise some eyebrows.

It's true that there are simply no likable characters. Liz may be one but considering what she knows and helps with and stills tays speaks volume about her character.

The episode was okay, but not the best IMO. How can Alex and whatever his name is spend years suffering over a missing child, only to abandon their surviving child without batting an eyelid? Odd. I must sya, their storyline bores me. More Liz I say!

I don't know... maybe the "fault" is all mine! AHS: Hotel has been the worst - so far!

The story simply didn't intrigue me! It was too linear and too trite! The characters didn't move me, didn't help me relate to them, didn't fascinate me with their qualities or their vices, their sanity or their madness.
The biggest problem of AHS:Hotel was that it didn't play its strongest cards right . The great actors it had in its cast spent most of the season off-screen! All it did is waste air time on Gaga and her boring scheming plans in attempt to take over the hotel - again.

I don't know... maybe I just couldn't get the charms of the season.

I'm really happy to see that most of you here liked this season. I'm just happy for this season is finally over.

I believe Hotel to be better than Coven and Freak Show. My only issues is that it gets tiring sometimes because of the predictable storytelling, I need a bit more dept and a little less sex between models. Otherwise I am enjoying the series. Good acting mostly and dark athmosphere.

That was, hands down, my favorite episode this season and this is shaping up to be my favorite season, if not for the soundtrack alone. Sisters Of Mercy, The Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode?!?!? I have been in new wave heaven!

I hate to say this because Jessica Lange is a goddess and I thought she was my favorite thing about this show but it cannot be a coincidence that after she leaves this show has experienced such a resurgence. Again, I LOVE HER, but the last few seasons had been very Jessica centric and kind of seemed tailored to her and quite frankly, the show was getting stale. Just my two cents though, and i'd still be happy if she popped in for a cameo.

I hate you, Donovan and no amount of snazzy dance moves will change that! I love Finn Whitrock and when Tristen was killed I was thrilled that they found a way to keep him around in the form of another character... who is now also dead. I know the countess is getting her comeuppance and that's great, but at what expense to my TV viewing delight?!

Iris' tribute video, just... I can't even. I spit Ben and Jerry's on my couch I was laughing so hard. Throw a minion picture in there and you have exactly the kind of video that middle aged to elderly women would be sharing on FB. I can see it now... This woman is trying to get a bajillion likes or her poor cat will die of ridiculitis. "like" this picture if you want her cat to live, and also FB is trying to ban this video beacuse it is offensive so you better share it to prove otherwise!"... Sorry, I guess I had some pent up annoyance that my great aunt found me on FB.

Miss Evers is Eversything! I can't even go on, I just love everyone and everything about every single second of this episode! (except that one vamp kids face. It feels me with rage, like that twit from The Strain and I need it to not be on my TV again).

This was just awesome. 'She gets revenge' is for a lot of 'shes'. The ending.. wow! Liz and Iris do not fuck around any more!

Nobody would have even come close to predict this, even when Liz convinced Iris to stay her suicide, second chances and all, wasn't sure how this was going to happen.

So, now, the funny thing is how things will go in the future episodes.

Does Countess Elizabeth have unfinished business? Does Donovan?

Will they release Ramona?

Goddamn, this was an amazing episode.

As usual, all actors were at the top of their game, Lady Gaga, again, showing some real acting chops!

It was so funny to see how excited the maid got when she had laundry detergent with oxygen! And then a brand new Washer and Dryer, why I was surprised she didn't just poof out of there and go to heaven! :)

Anyways, I really hope Season 6 will have Lady Gaga again.. She is just awesome! :)

Really? The very moment it started, tears burst out of my face, I was bawling and saying WTF out loud to the tv. I was relieved when it stopped! :) Am I the only one who had that reaction? I missed the funny completely on that one. :( It was tv Gold... but the ha ha didn't hit me at all.

I know - i just thought they would continue the trend of 13 a season - just found it very random when i read it - although i am glad it only has two weeks left

Also i actually agree that SQ is superior to AHS right now - i get a lot more enjoyment with watching a campy comedy than watching Lady GaGa destroy what was left of this series

And before you say anything - i know you are impressed with GaGa in this - but i am not - Kathy Bates and Denis O'Hare are the true great actors in this season - the rest range from meh to embarassing (can you guess which one i think is GaGa/ :P)

I agree - Kathy Bates and Denis O'Hare are totally killing it in AHS this season. Matt Bomer too. And I've felt Cheyenne Jackson has been excellent as Will Drake. I stand by Gaga being far above my expectations for her this season, though I have no prob admitting she's not the best out of the cast...

Wow... Holy crap, that ending! Liz and Iris coming out, guns blazing against the Countess, was friggin AWESOME! (though how many people here think all it's going to do is piss her off? Yeah, bullets CAN kill her, but do you honestly think Donovan won't act as a human shield until they run out of bullets? Prepare to feel the wrath of the most dangerous creature on this show, ladies.)

The dispatch of the Valentinos was a little... anticlimactic. I was expecting them both to go on a rampage in Los Angeles, but they really didn't do much of anything, ESPECIALLY Natascha. They seem more of a plot device to make the Countess suffer. (March walled them up for almost a century and then they get killed after only a few days of freedom? REALLY?) I'd say they were one of only two misteps this season has this year.

The other misstep, of course, is Alex and her stupid, STUPID decisions regarding Holden, and kids in general, but it looks like she found a way to resolve matters involving the killer children she sired... lock 'em up with an insane vampire lady! Yeah, this isn't going to bite her in the ass.

Heh, the Countess not realizing killing off Drake would leave his soul trapped in the hotel... She's lived there HOW LONG? Surely she must've known how it works in the hotel by now. Why only now does she seem genuinely surprised at Ghost Drake's return?

So John killed a bunch of random Voodoo practicioners for the "Thou shalt not have other gods before me." Ok... I'm really interested in what the final commandment victim will be. Hopefully something related to the hotel and the Countess, because John's serial killing and the vampires seem to be two completely separate storylines that barely intertwine at all other than John sleeping at the hotel for a few episodes and being mentored by March. I don't even think John and the Countess have shared any screentime together other than the flashbacks two episodes ago. If the Countess, or the hotel itself, was the final victim it would tie everything together.

9 out of 10. Best episode so far, and I can't wait to see what happens next episode now that the sh#t has hit the fan and everything's out in the open now.

I too, am expecting Jessica Lange to pop in for a cameo episode. What would AHS be without even a photo of her, on a dresser, and referenced to, if she was not able to do the show this year.
Also, Lady Gaga, is doing MUCH better than I expected as an actress. Her acting job is superb. I'm sure Madge is in fit's over that fact. Madonna only does a suburb job when she plays herself. (Or morphs into Evita) in her daily life.
Liz is by far my favorite, next to Angela basset and Kathy Bates.
"Buy your own damn floweeeeeeeeeersssssssss" - Brilliant delivery.

Is it silly that I am still vaguely expecting "Grandma" (and how annoying that was the hey we are covering something big thing up by still calling her that) is Jessica Lange in some sort of edition? Heck, like that Fiona managed to escape somehow? As far as I know, Ryan Murphy was pretty adamant all the seasons were connected and while Season 1 is obvious and there is a vibe like Asylum to this season, and, well, other than if there were guests they might be distancing themselves from Freak Show, but, I am not sure there has been a clear Coven reference. Basically, I'm thinking whoever she is, might be very scary on her own and might explain like why the Countess chose Alex (since we got a bit of the explanation how March chose John).

And hmm...thou shalt not kill. John is kind of limited in his options, which is odd to say, but I think all the quasi vampires might not count. And March, Sally and Miss Evers are dead. Its like him or Liz. Maybe he's planning on just standing in the middle of the Hotel lobby and strapping himself with dynamite.

I do kind of find it hard to believe Iris would shoot her son, and the preview of the next episode showed Liz wheeling one body out... but I also think if they leave him alive he is going to go on a rage parade over his true love being dead or whatever and Iris has to know that.

yes but throughout the season they have shown that iris loved donovan and doesnt want anything bad to happen to him. she might realize that she doesnt mean a lot to him but regardless of hwo he treats her he means a lot to her. it would be completely out of character for her to kill him.

also..im not so sure donovan would kill his mother. regardless of what he said i think she's just someone he wouldnt kill. he had the opportunity to let her die earlier and couldnt

This is true. I guess if she was ready to kill herself over him anyway, then it probably doesn't matter to her if he does kill her over this. She'd die happy knowing he was at least out from under The Countess's thumb. Which is funny because as I type this I realize that is pretty much exactly what Donovan just did. Kill someone knowing that the person he loves most will probably kill him for it.

Yeah, supposedly the people that die there are stuck there. Which has made me wonder why we haven't seen Tristen's ghost flitting about. If they do in fact end up dead when the show returns they will probably be hanging around still as ghosts so they wont really be gone gone. It's actually one of the things I liked about this season and season 1. Me thinks though that the countess is about to be stuck in a hotel for all eternity with a whole bunch of people that hate her... because she killed them (which will now include Natatcha and Will) and yet not her true love because he died elsewhere.

ultimately im just hoping he's not dead but i realize he more than likely is. that body probably is his and in the preview iris does look kind of upset about it when talking to liz.. I also question if they can really afford to kill the countess off with 2 episodes to go.

what i question though is..i know if someone dies in the hotel they remain as ghosts in the hotel. if the countess and donovan die in the hotel then would they come back as ghosts.

WOW! Fantastic ep. How awesome was that Iris/Liz guns-a-blazin ending?!?! So much happened in this ep - from John and Alex taking Holden and leaving - to the vamp kids - to the return of Will Drake - to Liz's long awaited reunion with her son - to Hazel gettin a washing machine (so great) - to Donovan killing The Countess's true love after they had finally reunited - couldn't have asked for anything more. And that ending was off the charts good. 9.5/10.

I completely agree! Couldn't ask for anything more from this ep. Every character got something interesting and dynamic to do, every plotline held my attention, everyone got a really powerful emotional moment- just wow. Definitely one of the standout episodes of the season. Loved the ending with Liz and Iris going all "Boondock Saints." Loved the blase way the Countess and Donovan killed off the Valentinos- "Is that a freaking sword?" and "Really?" had me laughing out loud. Loved Sally calling John out for trying to keep living a double life and pretend he's magically this normal family man again when we all know he's just as crazy as she is. The scene with Liz gaining her son's acceptance made me cry. Just great stuff all the way around. I have no idea what's coming next, and I can't wait to find out!

I don't which scene I liked better: Donovan awaiting his death at the hands of the Countess while jamming to Drake's "Hotline Bling" or Iris & Liz busting into the suite lightin' fools up to the tune of Drake's "Hotline Bling"! And I'm glad that the "She" in tonight's episode title was in reference to Iris & Liz.

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